And when they confronted her with that, she expressed her astonishment at the fact that he is combining between two wonders in being from him and from her by saying, "O woe to me!" This is a word that indicates a terrible matter, which is lightly uttered by the mouths of women, and they still use it to this day. However, they have changed its pronunciation just as much of the speech has been changed; and woe means the arrival of evil. The alif at the end is a substitute for the ya of the genitive, by which she here alludes to the intense astonishment for what is in it of fame and the mingling of assumptions. And al-Rummani said: Its meaning is the indication of the arrival of the terrible matter, as the Arabs say: O for the calamities! That is, come forth, for it is from your times, so the presence of what has occurred from your kinds.

And when what she was given glad tidings of was something unimaginable in itself according to custom, she said: "Shall I give birth while I am an old woman?" That is, while I am in the state that I am an old woman, and this, that is, who is present with me, "my husband is an old man." Then she translated that with what is its result by saying: [emphasizing that it - due to its breaking of customs - is in the realm of the unimaginable among people]: "Indeed, this" that is, the matter that has been given glad tidings of, "is truly a wondrous thing." So it was as if it was said: So what was said to her? It was said: "They said," that is, the angels, astonished by her astonishment, "Do you marvel at the command of Allah?" That is, the One who has all perfection, and it is not appropriate for you, for you are accustomed to Allah with what is not for others from the miracles. Astonishment only occurs from what has gone beyond its forms and the cause of it is hidden, and you - due to your firm knowledge of the cause which is the power of Allah over all things and His presence with you along with Allah's choosing for you and the repetition of His breaking of customs in your affairs - are not like others who are not like that. Then they explained their denial of her astonishment by saying: "The mercy of Allah" that is, the honor of the One who encompasses the attributes of majesty and honor, "and His blessings" that is, His continuous and established goodness, "upon you." And they clarified their specificity by dropping the address particle [as a praise for them, and he said]: "O people of the house," you have become accustomed to witnessing wonders due to the abundance of what you see of its effects like that and others. [Then he explained his kindness to them, emphasizing the affirmation of the essence of the words that she denied, and he said]: "Indeed, He" that is, with regard to this kindness, "is Praiseworthy and Majestic" [that is] abundant in recognizing those whom He wills from the majesty of the generality and the greatness of the decree, by what is known that He is deserving of praise for the glory, which is the generosity that arises from it the bounty.